Cthulhu Panel: One organ mutates every day

Wayne shook his head and followed Ethan out of the office.

"But Ethan looks only a few years older than me. He's decisive and follows orders strictly. It seems like the training within the department is very effective. Hmm... I hope I won't be reassigned like that too."

As soon as I stepped out of the office, a cool night breeze came in from the hotel corridor, carrying the faint scent of wax from the old-fashioned wooden floor.

The hotel rooms on both sides were converted into office cubicles, and the occasional soft rustling of files being turned could be heard from inside.

Wei En thought to himself:

"Unexpectedly, the Ritz Hotel, a landmark building in Michigan's modern commercial district, with 32 floors, houses the Special Affairs Bureau on its top floors."

"Observe and enhance your perception; wherever you are, observe as much as possible."

Ethan's steps remained steady and even, without the slightest hesitation, and he adhered to the rules of the game throughout.

Wayne looked around, searching for valuable information.

The two turned into the side corridor reserved for accommodation, went down two floors, and the smell of ink from the office area slowly dissipated, the floorboards creaking with each footstep.

Wei En carefully observed everything around him. Although he did not see anything unusual, he hoped that this small habit of his could improve his [Perception] progress more quickly.

Suddenly, Ethan looked around twice, his steps became unsteady, and he relaxed completely. He turned to Wayne, his tone softening, and said, "Ahem, I'm really sorry for my bad attitude earlier."

Wayne frowned: "Huh? What do you mean?"

Ethan continued:

"Actually, you don't need to be so tense. Although you were contaminated before, your body is not seriously injured. In addition, you slept for several hours after falling into a coma, so you have almost recovered. Let me give you a brief introduction. Our Special Management Bureau is divided into seven sections: the first is the Organization and Administration Section, the second is the Secret Protection Section, the third is the Federal Intelligence Section... and the seventh is the Special Investigation Section."

"Matthew and I belong to the Seventh Special Investigation Division, which is a veritable cannon fodder division."

"Once you're in the investigation department, you're not far from death. It's a pity I can't slack off in the logistics department, nor can I slack off and act like a big shot in the federal intelligence department..."

"By the way, Team Leader Matthew is interested in having you join our investigation department, but I'll let you in on a little secret: life is actually the most comfortable in the intelligence department..."

"The Special Affairs Bureau's salary level is roughly twice that of other public officials in the city, around 2 to 3 federal dollars per month. The exact salary depends on your rank and performance..."

Wayne stopped in his tracks.

Ethan took two more steps forward on his own before turning back to look at Wayne, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "What's wrong?"

Wayne looked at him incredulously: "Dude, how come you've suddenly become a different person? You weren't like this before."

Ethan sighed, a look of helplessness on his face:

"Okay, to be honest, this is how you survive in the Special Affairs Bureau. Someone like me, without any background or anyone to back me up, has to strictly obey orders and be shrewd in front of superiors. Sorry, I didn't mean to be too blunt earlier. I'll treat you to dinner later."

Wei En thought to himself:

"You call that following orders? If you hadn't told me, I would have thought the Special Affairs Bureau had assigned you to..."

He then quickly flashed a bright smile and patted Ethan on the shoulder:

"I understand, I understand. I'll have to rely on Ethan a lot in the future."

Ethan moved Wayne's hand away and said with a wry smile, "Don't bother. You can't rely on that. You people have special constitutions. You can receive the tokens and still be unharmed. You've already been designated as messengers. Your future is limitless. It's different from mine. Forget it, it's best not to talk about this anymore."

A token, a special physical condition, and a messenger?

What exactly is the story behind the little girl who gave the original owner the pocket watch?

Seeing that the other party didn't want to talk any more, Wayne wisely stopped asking questions. There would be plenty of time in the future, and the matter of the little girl would eventually need to be clarified.

The two continued walking forward.

Ahead, the original fancy doors of the hotel rooms have all been replaced with heavy solid wood doors, the beige walls are simple and elegant, and at the end is a partition door.

Ethan reached out and pushed open the wooden door.

"The new recruits' dormitories are all here." He turned to the side, paused slightly, gave a brief explanation, and led Wayne inside.

The corridors of the dormitory area are wider and brighter, and the vertical windows at the top are half-open, dispelling some of the oppressive and gloomy atmosphere.

Each dormitory room is a single room with a solid door and excellent sound insulation. The elegant gray walls blend a luxurious tone with a sense of solemnity, which is very much in line with the style of the Special Administration Bureau.

When they reached a door in the middle of the path, Ethan stopped, took out a brass key, inserted it into the lock, and turned it gently.

With a soft "click," the lock cylinder popped open.

"3013, your place is quite nice to me, but it might be a bit run-down for you." Ethan pushed open the door and stepped aside to make room for him.

"oh."

Wayne stepped into the dormitory and casually looked around.

The room was small, simply furnished but fully equipped.

A clean single bed, covered with a neatly made dark gray quilt, and a solid wood wardrobe and a desk stand against the wall.

The table was empty except for a brass lamp that stood quietly, and outside the window was the bustling night view of Michigan's Midtown Modern Business District.

The luggage I brought for this trip is already inside the house.

When Wayne turned around, Ethan had already straightened up and nodded slightly: "Get some rest. I'll take you to report for duty at eight o'clock tomorrow morning. There's a restaurant in the hotel, so don't get up too late, or the other people in the department will have a bad opinion of you."

After saying that, he turned and left, quickly disappearing at the end of the corridor.

"So eager to leave? I was hoping to chat a bit longer."

Wei En casually closed the door, shutting out all the noise from outside, and his tense nerves relaxed slightly.

He turned and sprawled on the large bed, rolled over, and comfortably used his consciousness to bring up the control panel:

[Perception Lv.1 - Observation of the Microscopic] Progress 6.0%

"The progress has increased by 0.1% along the way."

"Observing an unfamiliar special environment increases the gain by 0.1%. If you observe an unfamiliar environment or things for a whole day, the gain will be at least 1%. That's 30% in a month, and it would take more than three months to reach 100%."

"It seems that just observing the daily routines is making very slow progress. Only when we observe significant anomalies such as the flight attendant assassin or the aura of copper coins will there be noticeable progress."

[Old Points: 1.01]

"I guess you could say I got a bargain. That copper coin had a full 1 point of Old Days Points, and it didn't have any real negative impact on me even after I had it for so long."

"But that pocket watch almost cost me my life."

"In short, we should be more cautious in the future. Before touching mysterious objects, we should be wary of the risks. Prolonged contact may have unpredictable negative effects."

"As you gradually develop and add points, you'll become stronger and be able to withstand more negative impacts. You'll also have more room for maneuver and experimentation."

Wayne focused his attention on the panel in front of him:

【physique】

Breathing Lv.——

Sports Lv.——

Eating Lv.——

【Spirit】

Knowledge Level 1

Perception Lv.1·Microscopic Observation—Progress 6.0%

Microscopic observation: The redundant and aberrant synapses of the ocular nerve can perceive the finest details.

Charm Lv.——

[Features] (Locked)

Logically, you should focus on maxing out one attribute.

I wonder if this 1 point of old points can be infused into [Perception].

Wei En gently touched [Perception] with his consciousness, and the dark threads in front of him twisted and rearranged.

【Perception Lv.2·Danger Awareness】Upgrade Requirements: Lv.1 progress 100%; Consumes 1 Old Day Point.

[Danger Awareness: Fleshy sensory synapses develop in the interfascial spaces throughout the body, allowing for early detection of hidden dangers and unknown disasters in the surrounding environment]

The progress must reach 100% before old points can be infused.

It seems that this 1 point of old-time points cannot be used to improve [Perception].

Well, I originally thought I was going to start campus life, so I chose "Spirit". Now that I've been tricked into coming to the Special Bureau, I can't avoid facing danger, so I can consider choosing "Physical".

Breathing, moving, eating.

Clearly, breathing is more fundamental and can be done anytime, anywhere. Like perception, it is suitable for basic development.

With a thought, Wayne channeled 1 Old Day Point into [Breathing].

The twisted threads were reassembled into new characters.

[Breathing Lv.1 - Empty Breath] Progress 0%

[Empty Breath: Abnormal expansion and contraction of the chest cavity, resulting in the formation of abnormal sacs that can suck out all the air from the body]

Wei En felt a vague breath fill his lungs, causing a slight swelling.

He clearly felt a subtle sensation in his lungs; by taking a deep breath with all his might, he could suck out all the air around him and even create a temporary vacuum in the room.

"It seems... my breathing mechanism has gone beyond simply inhaling air, absorbing oxygen, and exhaling carbon dioxide."

"Then let the progress of [breathing] increase on its own."

[Old Points: 0.01]

Wayne used his consciousness to dispel the panel composed of distorted black lines in front of him and fell into deep thought.

"Although the structure of this panel is twisted and bizarre, it keeps strengthening me, and seems to be pushing me towards an indescribable life form. This is very strange."

With a spirit of inquiry and investigation, he recalled some fragments of memories from before his time travel. Those fragments were very blurry, as if they had been erased or dissolved.

Previously, whenever I tried to concentrate on recalling my past life, I would get a slight headache, and all my thoughts and ideas would be blocked.

But now, he forcibly recalled some key images from the bits and pieces of his past life's memories.

The image of an ancient book appeared in his mind.

That ancient book was unremarkable, simple and elegant, and related to the witchcraft and rituals of Chinese civilization.

At this moment, however, in Wei En's memory, the blood seal suddenly congealed and the runes wriggled, eerily like a living thing.

That was the last item he came into contact with when his memories of his past life were interrupted.

The book is called "The Secret Scripture of the Mysterious Ruler in Seven Chapters".

It is said that although Qin Shi Huang burned a large number of evil books, some readers still secretly compiled this book based on their memories, claiming that it could resurrect the dead, capture souls, and travel through time.

"Are you kidding me? That's just the Cthulhu Mythos, and I just bought that book from some unknown source to play with..."

Oh no…

Wei En felt a splitting headache. The book "Seven Chapters of the Mysterious Monarch's Secret Scripture" in his mind flipped, twisted, and reassembled rapidly, finally disintegrating into more than a dozen fragments that scattered and disappeared in different directions, carrying a faint sense of attraction, as if leading him to pursue it.

"Could it be... that book traveled with me? Does this mean I need to collect those scattered fragments?"

Too much pain to bear, Wayne had to stop those trivial thoughts.

After a moment, he successfully cleared his mind and let out a long sigh of relief.

[Breathing Lv.1 - Empty Breath] Progress 0.01%

"I can't think about it anymore. I'll sort it out later. I should go to sleep now."

Wayne picked up the wind-up mechanical alarm clock from the bedside table and turned the small hands on the dial to set his wake-up time.

Then he fell into a deep sleep.